Car-seal.



No. 643,345. Patented Feb. l3, I900.

F. W. BROOKS.

CAR SEAL.

(Application filed May 13 1899.) (No Model.)

attouneq llnrTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN XV. BROOKS, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CAR-S EAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,345, dated February13, 1900.

Application filed May 13, 1899. Serial No. 716,661. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN WV. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vashin gton, in the District of Oolu mbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Car-Seals; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incar-seals, and particularly to that class composed of sheet metal,(preferably tin.)

It has for its object to provide a seal simple and economic inconstruction and having its parts and the wire shackle readily assembledand secured together in such homogeneity as to secure the greatestamount of protection available in seals of this class.

With these ends in view myinvention consists of two sheet-metal piecesstruck up by dies and adapted .to fit one within the other and with anintermediate space for one or two disks or anvils of material havingyielding resistant properties-such as thin sheet-lead, felt, cardboard,or the like-the two body portions of sheet metal being permanentlyconnected at their edges and capable of final compression and impressionby dies in an ordinary hand-press, all as will be hereinafter more fullyset forth.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertainsmay know how to make and use the same, I will describe the construction,method of assembling, 8m, referring by letters to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 represents a top or plan view of the bottomhalf of myimproved seal; Fig. 2, a similar view of the top or upperportion of the seal; Fig. 3, a section on the line 00 0c of Fig. 1 withthe anvil in position; Fig. at, a section on the line y y of Fig. 2 withthe anvil in position; Fig. 5, a diametric section through both parts ofthe seal assembled ready to be secured by turning down the overlappingflange or wall of the lower portion and with a single anvil located inthe space between the two halves of the seal. Fig. 6 is a similar viewshowing the overlapping flange or wall turned down and the two partsthus sewithin the seal.

curely connected. Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 6, but showing theshackle-channel in the rim-flanges rather than in the walls of thecrowns, as shown at Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 8 is a similar view to Figs. 5,6, or 7 after the seal has been subjected to compression by a hand-pressto flatten the same, embed the shackle ends in the anvil, and to produceany desired impression or character upon either or both of the exposedcrown-surfaces of the seal. Fig. 9 is a top or plan view of the sealafter compression and showing in dotted lines the location of the endsof the wire shackle Fig. 10 is a plan view showing a modification in thedesign or shape of the seal. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section on the line.2 z of Fig. 8. Fig. 12 is a plan view showing one way of forming theends of the shackle-wire; Fig. 13, a similar view ofa modified form forthe ends of the shackle-wire, and Fig. lat a similar View of anothermodification in the form of the ends of the shackle.

Similar letters and figures of reference indicate like parts in theseveral figures of the drawings.

A and B are the two parts of the seal, and for convenience ofdescription I shall designate the part A as the top and the part B asthe bottom. Each of these parts is of hat form, as clearly shown inFigs. 3, at, 5, 6, and 7, and embodies a crown a, a rim 1), and a flangec.

Channels or openings 1 are formed in the flanges c, as shown'at Figs. 3,4., and 7, or in the vertical wall of the crowns a, as shown at Figs. 5and 6, to receive the hooked, crimped, or knotted ends of theshackle-wire O. The

.top hat portion A is placed within the bottom and a single thin disk oranvil D, of sheetlead, felt, or other suitable material, maybeinterposed between the flange c and the rim 1?, as shown at Figs. 5, 6,and 8, or such a disk or anvil may be placed within each crown, as shownat Figs. 3, 4, and 7, and after the parts have been thus assembled theflange c of the bottom portion B is turned over by suitable dies in apress, as shown at Figs. 6 and 7, and, if desired, one end of theshackle-wire may be placed in position before this operation,

which will hold said wire sufficiently to prevent it from accidentallyfalling out without in any manner preventing the subsequent insertion ofthe other end of said shackle-wire, and in this condition the seals areready for the market.

When the two portions of the seal are being struck up under dies, anydesired characters or letters may at the same time be impressed upon oneor both of the crowns a, and any desired characters or letters maylikewise be impressed upon either or both crowns by the hand-pressemployed to crush the croi'vns and permanently lock the wires in place,as shown at Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11.

When the shackle-channels 1 are formed in the vertical wall of the crowna, one of said channels may be formed in each crown, as shown at Fig. 5,or both of said channels may be formed in either one or the other of thecrowns side by side, as shown at Fig. 6, or a single channel ofsufficient length may be made to receive both ends of the shackle-wire,and, as before stated, a single disk or anvil D may beinterposed, asshown at Figs. 5 and b',or two anvils may be located, one in each crown,as shown at Figs. 3, 4, and 7. In the former case when the seal iscrushed or compressed in a hand press the hooked ends of theshackle-wire will be confined between the disk and the crown a of one ofthe portions of the seal and partially embedded in the disk D, and inthe latter case the ends of the shackle-wire will be confined betweenand embedded within the two disks.

The disks or anvils, it will be readily seen, may be punched out ofsheet-lead, felt, or other material suitable for the purpose in a mannersimilar to that employed in the man ufacture of ordinary gun-wads, andas either one or both of the anchors or disks are confined between thecrown-surfaces of the twopart sheet-metal seal they may be comparativelythin, and by reason of the proportions and method of manufacture theywill of necessity be of very slight cost, and as the two parts of thesheet-metal seal are struck up between dies and are formed with thecrown, rim, and flange, as described, the metal may be comparativelythin and correspondingly cheap, so that the seal as an entirety may beplaced upon the market and used at a price much lower than sealsinvolving a larger amount and more expensive material and requiring to agreater extent hand labor.

While I prefer the forms and details of construction shown anddescribed, I do not wish to be strictly limited thereto, as it isobvious that the profile or cross-section of the two sheet-metal partsof my improved seal may be varied without departing from the spirit ofmy invention, the generic principle of which rests in a sheet-metal sealcomposed of two parts preliminarily secured together and having confinedbetween them a shackle-anchor composed of material affording a yieldingresistance and of a thickness less than the space between the interiorfaces of the sheet-metal parts, so that not only may the shackle-wire beembedded within and locked by said anchor, but that the said anchorshall constitute an anvil, upon which any suitable impression may bemade upon the exposed flat surfaces of the seal.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A seal composed of two unbroken sheetmetal parts secured together attheir edges, either or both of said portions provided with entrances forthe shackle-wire, and adapted to receive impressions on their flatexposed surfaces, an interposed confined and concealed anchor or anvilhaving the characteristic of yielding resistance, and smaller incross-section than the space between the interior faces of thesheet-metal parts, and a shackle-wire having its ends returned or bentand embedded in the face of the anchor or anvil and confined between theinterior faces of the sheet-metal parts, substantially as hereinbeforeset forth.

2. A seal embodying in its organization two hat-shaped sheet-metalportions A B joined by overlapping flanges and formed withshackle-entrances and having continuous exterior surfaces adapted toreceive impressions, an interiorly confined and concealed anchor oranvil, smaller in cross-section than the space between the interiorfaces of the sheet-metal parts and having inherent yielding resistanceproperties, and a shackle-wire having its ends bent and embedded in theface of the anchor or anvil and confined between the interior faces ofthe sheet-metal parts A, 13, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN W. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

J. J. NELLIGAN, N. CURTIS LAMMOND.

